Question

In the past 500 years，nothing about people—their clothes，ideas，or languages has changed as much as what they eat.The original (最初的) chocolate drink was made from the seeds of cocoa tree by South American Indians.The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s.And although it was very expensive，it quickly became fashionable (时髦的)．In London shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places.Some still exist today.

The potato is also from the New World.Around 1,600，the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe，where it soon was widely grown.The potato was the main food at Irish table.Thousands of Irish people starved (饿死) when the crop failed during the “Potato Famine” (马铃薯饥荒) of 1845～1846，and thousands more were forced to move to America.

There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World.But some others went in the opposite (相反的) direction.Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee，and coffee is important crop in Colombia and other South American countries.But it is native to Ethiopia (埃塞俄比亚)．It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.

According to an Arabic story，coffee was discovered when a man named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red fruits on a coffee bush.He tried one and experienced the “wide­awake” feeling that one­third of the world’s population now starts the day with.

46．According to the passage，which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?

A．Food.　　　　　　　　　　　B．Chocolate drinks.

C．Potato.  D．Coffee.

47．“Some” in the sentence “Some still exist today” refers to______.

A．cocoa trees                                         B．chocolate

C．shops                                                 D．meeting places

48．Thousands of Irish people starved because________.

A．they depended on the potato

B．they were forced to move to America

C．the weather conditions in Ireland were not fit for growing the potato

D．the potato harvest was bad

49．Coffee originally came from________.

A．Brazil                                                 B．Colombia

C．Ethiopia                                              D．Arabia

50．The writer used an Arabic story to prove that________.

A．coffee was first discovered by Kaldi

B．coffee was first discovered by Kaldi’s goats

C．coffee was first discovered in south American countries

D．coffee drinks were first made by Arabs

Answer 1

【解析】　这是一道细节理解题。作者在文章开头就提出了论点：“In the last 500 years，nothing about people—their clothes，ideas，or languages has changed as much as what they eat.”在过去500年里，没有什么能有人类所吃的食物变化这样大，换句话说，食物变化是最大的。接着作者在下文以chocolate drinks，potato和coffee为例论证了这一观点。

【答案】　A

【解析】　这是一道细节理解题。应结合上句理解本句中some的含义：“In London shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places.Some still exist today.”在伦敦经营巧克力饮料的店子往往成为重要集会场所。今天在伦敦仍然存在着这样一些(卖巧克力饮料，被当做集会场所的)店子。

【答案】　C

【解析】　这是一道细节理解题。文章第二段告诉我们，马铃薯是从秘鲁传到欧洲的，并很快成为爱尔兰人的主食。然而在1845～1846年的“Potato Famine”(土豆饥荒)期间，“the crop failed”，马铃薯的收成不好(crop指一年或一季的收获，crops指农作物)，导致成千上万爱尔兰人饿死。

【答案】　D

【解析】　这是一道细节理解题。文中第三段介绍了由the Old World传到the New World的食物之一——coffee。咖啡现在在欧洲的产量最大，“But it is native to Ethiopia”，但它原产于埃塞俄比亚(be native to“原产于”)，由阿拉伯人首次制成饮料。

【答案】　C

【解析】　这是一道推理判断题。作者在最后一段之所以讲到阿拉伯故事，无非是为了向我们证实上一段所提出的一个观点：“It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.”

【答案】　D